


Reunion

by asarahworld



Series: The Doctor and Rose Tyler [7]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Dimension Cannon, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2015-07-09
Packaged: 2018-04-08 10:42:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4301679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asarahworld/pseuds/asarahworld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose reunites with the Doctor, but he doesn't know her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reunion

Rose groaned, rubbing her now throbbing elbow. Of course she had to materialize right beside a stupid box and hit herself on it. On her worst days, it was growing more difficult to remember why she was hopping across the dimensions. Reaching out to steady herself, Rose froze as her fingers made contact with the box’s wooden exterior. There were large block letters on the top reading: Police Public Call Box.

  
Even if this was the TARDIS (which she still had to check, there was a… Rose frowned. What regeneration was he on? How many did he get, anyway? How many versions of the Doctor were there?), but even if it was the ship, would he know her? In her head, Rose knew that the odds weren’t favourable; but especially when it came to her and the Doctor, the odds meant nothing.

  
Hesitantly, Rose drew a chain from under her shirt and fingered the key apprehensively. Hand shaking ever so slightly, she tried the lock and exhaled with relief when the door swung open, revealing a large room with a central console. It was the TARDIS, but not the room she was familiar with. The stark white interior briefly shocked her. So, in her absence, he had redecorated. No big deal, Rose told herself. At least her exterior was familiar. Stroking the console, Rose started murmuring to the ship, taking comfort in their telepathic connection. The TARDIS hummed in contentment – her Wolf was back and would soon reunite with her Thief.

  
Rose was suddenly hurried out of the TARDIS. A man quickly led her out of the time machine, and they leaned against its wooden exterior.

  
“I’m afraid that it’s out of order,” the man said ruefully.

  
The TARDIS… out of order? Was that even possible? Immediately, Rose realized that she’d spoken aloud, if only by the look of surprise on the man’s face. “It’s alright, I know about the TARDIS. Where’s the Doctor, is he alright?” Rose questioned the man, somehow knowing that he wasn’t here… well, that the man was not the Doctor.

  
An older man, with longer white hair, stepped from the ancient box and locked the door. “Steven? Where has he wandered off to now I wonder, hmmm?”

  
“Down here, Doctor!” The first man, Steven, Rose corrected herself, called back as her world turned black.

  
Steven propped the now unconscious young woman against the side of the TARDIS. “I think she’s fainted,” he added, his voice straining urgently.

  
“Yes, yes.” The Doctor ambled over to where his companion was supporting the unconscious frame of the mysterious girl.

  
“She was asking about you.” Steven noted quizzically, half to himself.

  
“Oh, I think not, my boy. Think about it. A police public call box. She was expecting a phone, to get medical attention.” The Doctor dismissed Steven’s ludicrous idea. “Besides, I have never seen her before in my life.”

  
Steven laughed. “We travel in time! Don’t you think it’s at least possible that she’s from your future?”

  
“Yes, yes, I suppose that that is a possibility.” The Doctor dismissed the thought. Why would his future companion be using such a… well, not an archaic device, but close… The Doctor was unable to explain the wrongness that it exuded. Not a vortex manipulator, but close.

  
“Speaking of medical attention, we should bring some smelling salts or something from the infirmary.” Steven cut off the Doctor’s protests. “We’re not leaving her lying on the ground, Doctor!” Steven set off into the depths of the box to find the infirmary, leaving the Doctor alone with the blonde, who was beginning to stir.

  
As Rose awakened, her mind was assaulted with comfort and questions from the ancient time ship. “TARDIS,” she sighed happily. Amid the ship’s excitement, images of the old man and echoes of the word ‘Thief’ filled their connection. He’s the “Doctor…” Rose realized, her heart fluttering at the thought of being reunited with her love, failing to keep her thoughts silent.

“Yes? Yes, what is it, child?” The old man asked impatiently. He was growing more and more concerned, for the young woman seemed to know him.

Rose tried to stand once more, but was about to collapse when the Doctor caught her. “M Rose.” She began. Since he didn’t recognize her, Rose assumed that he was younger than her Doctors. “We- we travelled together. But I got separated from him- from you. But I’m- I’m coming back, so don’t you forget it, okay?” Rose tried to explain her situation to the Doctor without revealing any of his future. The TARDIS stroked her Wolf’s mind gently and assured her that Thief would eventually recall this conversation and understand her impossibly cryptic message.

“Steven was right,” the Doctor exclaimed quietly. He wondered when this Rose travelled with him. For some reason, unbeknownst to even himself, he hoped that it was soon. Rose finally made it back onto her feet, with little help from the Doctor, and they were at eye level.

“I, I ought to go,” Rose muttered. Though she could not stand leaving so soon after finding him, the Doctor didn’t know her. He wouldn’t be able to tell her what his future self had been about to.

“Rose,” he savoured the way her name rolled off his tongue. “A mere companion would not be so dedicated to find their way back to me,” the Doctor stated, trying to keep his tone clinical. Hope bled through his efforts.

“Yeah? I’m not… I hope I’m not…” Rose could not find the words to express herself.

“For both our sakes, I hope so too, my dear.” The Doctor smiled, thoughts drifting to the future.

“Doctor…” Rose trailed off, not finding words for what she wanted to say; she wasn’t even able to find what she could tell this him. “Don’t forget.” She said. “I… I never said the words and neither will you, but…” Rose struggled to find a way to tell the Doctor. “When you know, tell me.” She internally sighed, exasperated. There was no way she could tell him now and she would never again intentionally change the past. Rose looked at her dimension cannon and saw that it was once again fully charged. “I’ve got to get back. I won’t stop trying. I promise, I’ll find my way back.” A tear slipped down her face and the Doctor unconsciously moved to wipe it away. Rose cupped his hand to her cheek for a moment, then pressed the button on the side of the cannon and disappeared, leaving the Doctor staring at the space which she had abruptly vacated.


End file.
